Community Activities

Local Politics Coordinator, The Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club (2011–current)

Political Action Chair, The Block by Block Organizing Network (2015–current)

Biography

I have lived in the Bay Area since the late 60’s when I was an activist at San Francisco State College during the student strike for Ethnic Studies. In 1973, as a BART train operator and an active union member, I moved to Oakland where I began my family and subsequently raised my two kids as a single mom after my divorce during which I was also an active public school parent and member of several community groups.

I have been staff to 2 city council members, a member of the Alameda County Labor Council, a teacher of middle and adult school, a shop owner and am currently an elected member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee while running a local Business Improvement District.

I am also the local politics coordinator for the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club and the political action chair of the Block by Block Organizing Network, working on affordable housing issues, police accountability issues and the no coal in Oakland movement. I am active on social media including a you tube channel and my own blog.

Political Beliefs

I’m a grassroots progressive. I have honed my political analysis over the years and in a nutshell, I would like to see radical change in how we organize our society but, as a single mom, I am interested in practical solutions that help people get through their day-to-day lives-affordable housing that still encourages local business development, good government measures like independent police commissions while working with departments on local recruiting and training in community awareness.

My political soap box-we progressives need to pay attention to local politics and build from the bottom up, not hope that working from the top down will bring a change. To that end I write a blog that explains what is happening at the city and county level in terms of the issues being discussed and who is driving them. See DrakeTalkOakland.com for more.